Sandpile Prediction on Structured Undirected Graphs

We present algorithms that compute the terminal configurations for sandpile instances in $O(n \log n)$ time on trees and $O(n)$ time on paths, where $n$ is the number of vertices. The Abelian Sandpile model is a well-known model used in exploring self-organized criticality. Despite a large amount of work on other aspects of sandpiles, there have been limited results in efficiently computing the terminal state, known as the sandpile prediction problem. Our algorithm improves the previous best runtime of $O(n \log^5 n)$ on trees [Ramachandran-Schild SODA '17] and $O(n \log n)$ on paths [Moore-Nilsson '99]. To do so, we move beyond the simulation of individual events by directly computing the number of firings for each vertex. The computation is accelerated using splittable binary search trees. We also generalize our algorithm to adapt at most three sink vertices, which is the first prediction algorithm faster than mere simulation on a sandpile model with sinks. We provide a general reduction that transforms the prediction problem on an arbitrary graph into problems on its subgraphs separated by any vertex set $P$. The reduction gives a time complexity of $O(\log^{|P|} n \cdot T)$ where $T$ denotes the total time for solving on each subgraph. In addition, we give algorithms in $O(n)$ time on cliques and $O(n \log^2 n)$ time on pseudotrees.Comment: 66 pages, submitted to SODA2

Mapping wilderness character in the Muskwa-Kechika Management Area

Wilderness is an abstract concept containing both an ecological component more generally referred to as naturalness, and a social/human component attributed with recreation; it varies geographically, culturally and jurisdictionally. This thesis focuses on a case study of the Muskwa-Kechika Management Area (M-KMA) in northern British Columbia, Canada where maintaining wilderness is central to the vision. Previous mapping within the M-KMA has focused on wildlife and resource values, whereas this thesis aimed to define and map the wilderness character of the M-KMA. This thesis assesses the current state of wilderness to potentially examine changes over time and to spatially compare wilderness with other uses such as resource potential. When wilderness character data are separated into categories (lower, moderate, high and very-high), 55% is represented in the very-high quality category and only 9% by the lower category. In addition, there is 26% overlap between high resource potential values and very-high wilderness values.wilderness characterMuskwa-Kechika management areaM-KMAnorthern British Columbi

Jamming in granular media:modeling of experimental data

This thesis studies the phenomenon of jamming in granular media, such as when a salt shaker gets clogged. We use modern instrumentation, like X-ray synchrotron tomography, to look inside real jamming experiments. High performance computers allow simulating mathematical models of jamming, but we are also able to treat some of them just using paper and pencil. One main part of this thesis consists of an experimental validation of the distinct-element-method (DEM). In this model, grains are modeled separately, their trajectories obey Newton's laws of motion and a model of the contacts between grains is given. Real experiments of jamming of glass beads flowing out of a container were carried out. 3D snapshots of the interior of the media were taken using X-ray synchrotron tomography. These snapshots were computer processed using state of the art image analysis. It was found that 3D DEM is capable of predicting quite well the final positions of the grains of the real experiments. Indeed, in cases of instant jamming (jamming without a substantial previous flow of beads) the simulations agree well with the real experiments. However, in cases of non instant jamming, because of chaotic behavior of the model and the system, the results do not agree. Furthermore, a sensitivity analysis to grain location and size perturbations was carried out. In a second part, we describe results on 2D DEM simulations of jamming in a hopper. We focus on the jamming probability J, the average time T before jamming and the average number ψ of beads falling through the hole when jamming occurs. These quantities were related to global parameters such as the number of grains, the hole size, the friction coefficient, grain length or the angle of the hopper (in opposition to fine-scale parameters that are the positions and radii of the grains). In agreement with intuition, a monotonic behavior of J and ψ as a function of the number of grains, the hole size, the friction coefficient was found. However, surprising results were also found such as the non-monotonicity of the average number of beads falling through the hole when jamming occurs as a function of the grain length and the hopper angle. In the third part, we study simple probabilistic 2D models called SPM, in which non-interacting particles move with constant speed towards the center of a circular sector. Formulas giving the jamming probability or the average time before jamming when jamming occurs as a function of global parameters were found. SPM and 2D DEM were compared and a locally good correspondence between the global parameters of the two was established. SPM led us to study some combinatorial problems, in particular two bi-indexed recurrence sequences. One gives the number of ways of placing identical balls in fixed-size numbered urns and the other the number of subsets of a given ordered set without a certain number of consecutive elements. Several different ways of computing the sequences, each advantageous in certain cases, were found

Annual Report of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution, showing the operations, expenditures, and condition of the Institution to July, 1891

Part 1 of 252-1Annual Report of the Smithsonian Institution. [3001] Research concerned with the American Indian.1891-14